Aquatic Romance
by leigh.hime
Summary: This is a story about a guy named Finnick, falling in love with a naiad named Isi. Yeah, I'm kinda ripping off Patton's relationship with Lena. I plan on putting a different twist on things. Read if you're interested.


The sound of the engine rumbling on the dirt road was the only noise that could be heard for miles. I was in the middle of nowhere. I was on my way to Novoco's Terrace, a preserve out in the country of Great Britain. The road was twisting and turning, forking left and right, trying to veer me from my course to the preserve. The distractor spells managed to contort my concentration, but I knew if I kept taking the right at the fork, I would eventually come to an elaborately crafted wrought iron gate with nothing but an old wooden house behind it…or at least that's what my eyes would see.

I felt my mind growing cloudier as I took the next fork, my own thoughts betraying me. _This can't be the way. I should backtrack _I whispered to myself. I ran my fingers through my hair and slowed the car to stop, pulling out my cell phone and dialing Robert's number. The phone rang three times before he picked up.

"Hello, Robert speaking", his voice came across friendly and familiar. Sweat beaded at my forehead and my tongue felt tied to the bottom of my mouth.

"It's Finnick…are you sure you gave me the right directions?" I scratched my forehead and looked ahead. It seemed as if the canopy of trees overhanging the road went on for miles. Robert chuckled softly.

"Yes, don't forget the distractor spells. Just keep going right at the forks."

"…And you're absolutely sure?" He laughed out loud again.

"Yes, I'm damn positive I know the way to my own home." The line went dead and I stared ahead at the endless road, easing the car into drive and continuing my journey.

I'm not sure as to why I was even here. After leaving my father's preserve in North America, I'd become somewhat of a nomad, going to preserves wherever they would accept my help.

I'd passed three forks in the road before I came to an immensely and expertly crafted, medieval wrought-iron gate. Fog enclosed the buildings behind and the entire place looked cold, dead and unoccupied from the outside.

I sat in my car, waiting patiently for the doors to swing outwards and they did. My long time, old friend and cousin came barreling towards my car as I wrenched myself from the seat. I stuck out my hand and he received it, shaking it roughly and pulling me into a hug with a slap on the back.

"Glad you made it, man. I was starting to worry that those spells might have gotten the best of you", he laughed again and gestured for me to get in my car. I did so and we pulled through the gates.

Inside, the preserve looking nothing like its deceptive exterior.

The entire main house was brightly colored and adorned with vines crawling up its exterior. The castle-like house was most likely built some time ago with long lasting enchantments cast on it by its former owners. The front lawn was green and teeming with life, several fairies fluttered along the countless flowerbeds and lounged on their petals. Most of them were casting shimmering spells on the flowers and immediately the flowers inched forward and grew larger, more fragrant than before.

"Welcome to Novoco's Terrace", he smiled and opened his arms wide. I couldn't help but gawk in amazement at the change of scenery. A couple of dryads and satyrs chased each other through the forest at the edge of the yard and my mouth fell open. I'd only seen a few dryads in my entire career. Most likely from the fact that they'd never had any problems with the preserves I'd worked at.

"Dryads?" I looked at him with a confused expression.

"We have dryads, naiads, hamadryads, you name it!" Robert smiled, reaching the stone steps and walking forward towards the heavy looking wooden door. "We're also the only preserve to house salt water naiads. They live in a salt water marsh near the centaur territory."

"Salt water naiads…I thought they were only a-"

"A myth?" He smiled, "Most people think this entire preserve is a myth. It's one of the smaller ones that people seem to overlook when they're drawing preserve locations on maps. I don't mind that though. Grandpa and Nina aren't too keen to having visitors."

"…Should I be here?" I gave him a look of concern and he laughed it off loudly.

"Should you be here?! Of course! You're family!" Robert hooked his arm around my neck and gave me a noogie on the top of my head. The door swung inward and a dark-skinned, heavily wrinkled male stepped towards the two of us.

"Grandson! Stop causing so much racket-" He stopped short when he noticed me and his scowl grew even darker. "Robert, who is this?" Robert released me and I stood up straight, sticking out my hand for the old man to receive.

"I'm Finnick Wayne. You must be-"

"Your grandfather", he said, taking my hand and giving it a firm shake. "Gosh, son. I haven't seen you since you were a baby! You probably don't even remember me. You were just a little tike the last time I saw you. Sorry for acting so gruff before. If there is a ruckus in the yard, it draws attention and the last thing we want is curious satyrs on our hands. They love visitors more than anyone." He gestured for both of us to come inside and the interior of the castle almost wowed me as much as the exterior.

Elaborate tapestries hung from the walls and there was a deftly crafted marble staircase that led to the upper rooms of the building. To my right was the dining hall that housed more beautiful, woven curtains with a long wooden table. To my left was the hallway that led down to the dungeons…or at least that's what I'd assumed. Robert informed me little on the floor plans of the buildings.

"This preserve is absolutely…" I couldn't finish my sentence with a word that described what I thought of the place.

"It's awe-inspiring, isn't it? We Broms pride ourselves on this preserve. We built it up from nothing and it's been in our family for countless generations. As lovely as this looks, we have so many repair jobs…I'm glad you've come, sonny. We need the extra help. Your aunt and myself don't get around like we used to and Robert can't keep up with the jobs."

"Hey!" Robert narrowed his eyes at his grandfather and growled under his breath. "I've done more for this preserve in the last 5 years than you have in your life time and you know it!"

"Don't get quippy with me, sonny", he turned around and pointed his cane at Robert. "It's been a long time since I was able to move without feeling like my bones were creaking from the pressure. Praise the gods that you still have your youth, you disrespectful-"

"Father! Why didn't you tell me we had company?" A slightly more youthful, but grey-haired woman stood at the top of the staircase.

"I was just about to, Maggie", Robert's grandfather replied, looking even more tired than before. I watched her descend the stairs as quickly as she could and she gave me a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"It's nice to see you again, Finnick! Gosh, I haven't seen you since you were a little boy. How's your mother?" Aunt Margaret asked me kindly, rubbing my arm.

"She's, um…" I stared hard at the stonewalls of the building before tightening my jaw and mumbling, "She's passed."

"What!" Aunt Margaret covered her mouth in surprise and tears filled her eyes as she realized her sister-in-law was dead. "How?"

"She was in an accident a couple of years ago. I thought my father had contacted you about it", I bowed my head.

"If I may ask, what kind of accident was it?"

"On a preserve in the southern region of Chile, she was attacked by an ogress. There was nothing we could do…she had accidentally tread on her grounds and…There was nothing we could do", I repeated quietly.

"Oh, Finnick. I'm so sorry. That's…" Aunt Margaret bowed her head and tears filled her eyes. "Poor-"

"After the ogress attacked and left her body, we retrieved her and rushed her to the hospital as quickly as we could. She was unconscious with several cuts across her body. The doctors were confused, but before we could answer any questions, she was rushed to the emergency room where they operated immediately. They tried their best, but my mother was too far concussed to be saved. Her brain was damaged severely. If you can take any comfort in her death, know that she probably felt know pain soon after the attack had begun…" My gaze remained trained on the floor and all three were silent around me.

"I had no idea-" Robert began, putting a hand an arm around my shoulders.

"How could you have known?" I asked, putting on a smile and remembering that my mother wouldn't want me grieving over her loss. She'd want me to protect people from befalling the same fate.

"I am sorry, but it's growing dark outside and I'm rather hungry. We can continue in the kitchen on a lighter subject…" Grandpa Brom smiled at me and I felt the exact same way. I nodded and everyone filed down the central hall of the building toward the kitchen.

The hallways were lined with previous caretakers and I smiled at some of the familiar faces I saw. A few of the same portraits were hanging in the house on the preserve my father was the caretaker of.

The kitchen wasn't too far away and I could already smell the rich scent of the food that was being cooked already. A dark-haired woman stood behind the counter, chopping at an onion with a few tears streaking her cheeks. She looked up and wiped them away quickly before plastering a bright smile on her face.

"Finnick, I'd like you to meet the housekeeper, Nina", I smiled and stuck out my hand for her to shake. She was beautiful and she bowed slightly and I gave her the same courtesy.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Finnick!" She looked to be in her mid-thirties.

"Just call me Finn. Is that accent from Spain?" I asked, quirking up my lip in a smirk.

"It is. I'm from one of the smaller towns outside Madrid", she smiled at my taking notice of her accent.

"Right! Nina, when will the food be ready?" Grandpa asked gruffly.

"In a few minutes, you old crab", she shot him a glance and continued cutting her onion smoothly.

"I'll show Finnick to his room", Robert offered, walking through the kitchen door and gesturing for me to follow him. He led me out to the main hall, up the marble staircase and down a few narrower halls before stopping at a door. He turned the nob and leaned against it, pushing and grunting. After a few seconds, the door swung inward with a loud cracking sound and Robert ended up on the floor in a heap. I laughed and held my stomach, bending at the waist. Walking through the doorway, I ran a hand through my hair. The room was decorated nicely with old-fashioned curtains and even a four-poster with drapes around it.

"Wow…" was all I could say at the time.

"I bet you had no idea that the main house would be this painstakingly decorated. Think about what it was like to live here as a child", I could tell he was groaning inwardly.

"This place is like a museum", I smirk and glance over at Robert who was nodding in agreement.

"Well, this is the room you can throw your crap in."

"Thanks-"

"Dinner's ready!" Nina's voice echoed down the hall and we both looked at each other before wrestling out of the room at top speed. Both of us tore down the stairs, nearly knocking each other over in the process.

"I see you fools have caught up already", our Grandpa said to us.

"Of course we're caught up!" Robert laughed and headed toward the kitchen where 5 plates were set up at the smaller table, each steaming with deliciousness.

"You really outdid yourself this time, Nina!" Robert said, sitting down in his seat and digging in immediately. I thanked Nina and took my seat next to Robert, digging in like him. Despite the fact that we were both twenty-five, we still ate like 10 year olds when it came to a delicious meal together.

"What is this?" I looked up at Nina and she smiled.

"It's steak with my special rub", she smirked. "It's a secret and will be kept that way." She shot a glare at Robert and went to take her seat at the other side of the table. Aunt Margaret and Grandpa sat down in the remaining two seats and began eating as well.

"Welcome to Novoco's Terrace", Aunt Margaret looked at me and smiled. "Did Robert tell you a little bit about the preserve?"

"A little bit. He mentioned saltwater naiads that I never knew existed", I raised a brow questioningly.

"Yes, those little-…yes, in the Black Marsh flanking the Centaur Reserve", she said.

"I never knew a saltwater naiad could exist, but then again, I shouldn't have dismissed the possibility so easily", I said around a mouthful of food, "What are they like?"

"Just like the youthful, beautifully evil freshwater naiads. They still enjoy drowning people for sport…except the saltwater naiads, as we've observed, can be slightly more vulgar than the freshwater naiads…if that's even possible"; she chuckled and took a bite of Nina's steak.

"They all have a pretty colorful vocabulary", Robert laughed and pulled at his steak with his teeth. Aunt Margaret reached across the table and smacked his arm.

"Manners, son!" She wrinkled her nose and shook her head, settling back into her seat.

"Looks like a storm is coming", Grandpa Brom looked out the window, narrowing his eyes. All four of us glanced out the window and stared at the oncoming clouds. Thunder rumbled in the distance and a flash of lightning lit up the ocean.

"You know why this preserve is called Novoco's Terrace, right?" Robert asked, nudging my arm.

"No, why?"

"It's because the entire preserve is backed up to a cliff that drops off into the ocean. Heavy enchantments surround the cliff to prevent the beings that live here from escaping. It's pretty interesting. The enchantments almost look like an Aurora against the ocean. I'll take you there sometime."

"That'd be awesome", I smiled and continued eating my food. The table grew silent as all eyes returned to the window. The storm was going to be a big one.


End file.
